Raw Diets Can't Cure Everything

I had an interesting comment posted to my blog yesterday, but it was a bit long to use.  The writer was using a nice variety of natural foods for her two Dals, with the exception of feeding exclusively chicken.  She was concerned with the fact that her Dals were itchy, despite the fact that they were getting no grains.  What was she doing wrong? What could she add or change that might help?

While grain-based foods can be the culprit here,  there are many other possible causes. Removing grain does NOT guarantee a dog won't be itchy. Although a raw & natural diet can solve or improve a lot of health-related issues, and prevent others (such as gingivitis), it is not a miracle cure for everything.  My own feeling on the subject is that removing grain is better for curing digestive issues than it is for eliminating itchy allergic-type problems.

If the itchy Dals were mine I would make two changes right now.  If you make too many changes and things improve, you'll have no idea what made the difference.  First, I would change the protein source.  Dogs can become sensitized to any type of protein, and that includes chicken.  When everyone fed beef or chicken-based kibble, the "new" (at the time) lamb-based foods were advertised as "hypo-allergenic".  What a crock!  Dogs can become sensitized to lamb, just as they can to any other protein source.  In this case the problem "might" be chicken.  If the dogs were mine I might switch them to a turkey based diet for two months, using turkey necks and ground turkey and absolutely no chicken.  I've noted a number of postings to various lists stating that the writer's dog(s) did not do well on chicken.    One of my own dogs Josie, gets itchy when she eats beef.

The other thing I would do is change the dogs' grooming routine.  The dogs are bathed every two weeks with a Neem Oil shampoo.  Those poor dogs probably have no natural oils left to protect their skin from anything.  NO Dalmatian needs to be bathed every two weeks, and most pet dogs rarely need bathing.  If they are bathed, it should be with a hypo allergenic soap-free shampoo, cool water, and they should be blotted dry.  No rubbing to heat up the skin.  An oatmeal rinse might be helpful.   Even the dogs we show do NOT get bathed every week or two.  Also, if the skin is inflamed or irritated in anyway, brushing is not the way to go.  A rub-down with dampened hands will remove loose hair safely.

This posting might have been more appropriate on my other blog, but I just wanted to make the point that feeding a raw diet will NOT solve all problems.  Also, food allergies are far less common than inhalant allergies, and chances are the two itchy dogs are allergic to pollens or other things in their environment rather than anything they are eating.  (We'll save a discussion on food allergies and food intolerances for another day.)